


The Boy Who Danced With Fireflies

by LivingOnTheEdge5



Series: Little!Will and Daddy!Hannibal [6]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Fae & Fairies, Fireflies, Little!Will, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Tears, daddy!Hannibal, dancing in the woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-23
Updated: 2015-05-23
Packaged: 2018-03-31 20:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3990898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivingOnTheEdge5/pseuds/LivingOnTheEdge5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daddy Hannibal takes little!Will to see fireflies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Boy Who Danced With Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [telera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/telera/gifts).



> Based on a Tumblr prompt  
> " telerafairlyreie, puppyxtraining, anislandcalledcalifornia,or ter0rr. Can you pretty please write a(n) agepay fluffy fan fic of Little Will chasing fireflies while Daddy Hannibal looks on <3.  
> Thank you and so much love  
> swtitlangel88
> 
> This is my first prompt fill ever so I hope it is close to what you were looking for.

Hannibal is sitting under his shaded terrace enjoying a glass of chilled beer on a steamy summer day. An accomplished multitasker he is simultaneously admiring the beautiful tableau of his garden, proofing an article, and listening to little Will's excited monologues.

 "And lady bugs aren't really all girls and bees die after they sting you but wasps can bite you as many times as they want," little Will says, only stopping briefly for breath.

 Little Will has been on a "bug kick" for the past few days and rather than diminishing with time, his mania appears to be burning more brightly by the day.

 He is sitting at the outdoor table near his daddy, dressed in his little sun suit, straw hat, and sandals, just like the ones Christopher Robin wears in the Winnie the Pooh illustrations. In front of him is a stack of children's books about insects which daddy Hannibal indulgently bought him at the book store yesterday.

 Will's nose is buried in a DK Eyewitness book titled, Insect and he's sharing thrilling tidbits with his daddy as he reads.

 "And 'member in James and the Giant Peach how the centipede says he has a hundred legs butcept he didn't!" Will says giggling a little and taking a sip of lemonade.

 "Not 'butcept' darling," Hannibal says looking up from the article he is peer reviewing for Frederick.

 Little Will rolls his eyes, "Eeeexcept," he drawls sassily, irritably kicking the table leg with his little sandaled foot. Hot, humid weather makes little Will cranky and fractious.

 Hannibal raises his eyebrows at his boy's naughtiness and Will hurriedly scrunches down in his seat, bringing up the book to cover his face.

 "Daddy?"Will coos in his sweetest most coaxing voice.

 "Yes, darling?" Hannibal asks, still debating whether he should scold his boy for his poor manners.

 "Matty told me that fireflies aren't really fairies," little Will says lowering his book and looking sadly at his daddy.

 Will's tragic, poignant little face melts Hannibal's heart immediately; all thoughts of a reprimand are quickly forgotten.

 "Well, Matty is just a little boy, he doesn't know everything," Hannibal says.

 "Tío Frederick told me that too! He made fun of me!" Will says, indignantly, tears welling in his sweet blue eyes at the memory of being teased for his fanciful belief.

 "Tsk, tsk. Tío Frederick doesn't mean to tease you little one. And if he did, he was wrong to do it," Hannibal says planning on a little course of disciplinary action of his own for Frederick. "Fairies are all around us," Hannibal says, waving his hands around the kaleidoscope of flowering shrubs and flowers, "they use their magic so we can't see them; that is how they protect themselves."

 "Butcep..." Will begins then catches and corrects himself."But we NEVER see fireflies here daddy!" He complains. " Is that cuz the fairies don't like it here? He asks, book and drink forgotten.

 "Ne,ne,ne," Hannibal says, reverting as he does at times to his native tongue , but little Will knows what he means. "Firefly fairies are very sensitive and secretive folk. They don't live in neighborhoods like ours. They need woods or a forest surrounding them for protection." He says, not telling his boy that development, light pollution, and insecticides are the real culprits of  the dwindling firefly populations.

 Hannibal pulls his hot, sticky boy onto his lap and removes the straw hat. Will rubs his hot face in the cool linen of his daddy's shirt. Little Will loves the crisp fabrics his daddy wears in summer and likes to sneak into the laundry room and roll in his daddy's shirts while he's busily occupied elsewhere.

 "Why don't we do this, little one? Let's go on a firefly hunt. Not to kill or capture them," he adds quickly when little Will darts a startled look up at him, "just to see if they will come out for us."

 Little Will settles back into his daddy's strong arms and Hannibal drapes Will's long, slender legs over his own. Will sighs with contentment and nestles his curly head into the crook of his daddy's arm, just over his heart. He loves to listen to the strong swoosh and thump-thump while rubbing his scruff happily against his daddy's chest. Hannibal runs his fingers through his boy's curls and Will's eyelids begin to droop. Its pleasant here in daddy's arms with the sound of the bees and grasshoppers busily buzzing and thrumming all around them.

 "When?" Will asks, nearly asleep.

 "Tonight, long after other little boys and girls are tucked into their soft, warm beds," Hannibal says quietly.

 Will's pink thumb moves into his mouth and he sucks it luxuriously as his eyes close and his satin lashes lie flush against his cheeks.

 Hannibal scoops Will up and carries him into the house and up to his room for his afternoon nap. He lays his boy onto his bed and pulls his favorite snuggle blanket over him. Will smiles around his thumb though whether it's meant as a 'thank you' for Hannibal's actions or as a response to a dream, Hannibal isn't' certain.

 " _Saldžių sapnų, mielasis_ ," he says, kissing Wills forehead. Then he walks out of Will's room, leaving the door cracked so he can hear if his boy calls out. Hannibal walks downstairs to his office; he has a few phone calls to make before Will wakes up.

 ----------------

 "It's kinda scary looking," Little Will says doubtfully as the massive iron gates swing open to allow Hannibal's car to drive through.

 "It's owned by a very nice lady who is one of daddy's good friends," Hannibal explains as they drive down a dark tunnel created from huge trees.

 Secure in his booster seat with Mr. Bear along for the adventure, Will peers out the window seeing only pitchy darkness.

 "It's so dark, daddy!" He protests covering Mr. Bear's eyes so he won't be scared. "Its okay _mielaisis_ ," he croons, absent mindedly chewing his bear's ear," daddy 'on't 'et anythin' 'ad 'appen."

 "Mouth off Mr. Bear," Hannibal reminds Will via the rear view mirror and watches, resigned, as his boy substitutes his thumb for the teddy bear's ear.

 "Now, now, the dark is nothing to be frightened of," Hannibal says as they slowly drive along the crunchy gravel road. "And it is in the dark that all the little animals come out of their beds to play in the moonlight," he waxes eloquent.

 "Where, where!!" Little Will says, imagining a moonlit scene of bunnies and raccoons playing 'ring around the rosy.'

 Daddy just laughs and pulls up to the front of a huge house, much larger than the one he shares with his boy.

 "Let us go see, yes?" He says, opening little Will's door and helping him out of his booster seat.

 Little Will clings to daddy's hand as he looks up at the mansion. A few dim lights illuminate the bottom floor but other than that it seems deserted.

 "No one is staying in the big house right now," Hannibal explains, as they begin to walk around the front of the house. "The caretaker who let us in lives in a little house behind the pool. "

 "Whoa," says little Will wide-eyed when they round the corner and he sees the massive pool, lit for nighttime, complete with water slide, waterfall, grotto and cabana.

 "Ooo, this is a fun house!" He says enthusiastically and would have lagged behind to take a closer look if his daddy didn't have such a firm grip on his hand.

 "Come along little one, the fairies are just beginning to wake up," Hannibal says smiling down and giving Will's hand a gentle tug.

 "Oh, yeah!"Little Will's eyes are as big as saucers as he scans the property, "Do you see one?" he whispers.

 "Not, yet," Hannibal says in a soft voice and brings Will's hand to his lips, kissing it gently. He stops and leans down so his mouth is next to Will's ear. "We must walk all the way into the woods then wait very still and quietly."

 Little Will looks up at him, solemnly and nods, "Okay," he whispers, "let's go."

 They walk across the lawn until they reach a dense grove of mature ash, elms, and hickory trees. Hannibal knows from previous visits that the owners are scrupulous in clearing the underbrush and have placed long wooden seats under its lush canopy.

 "Someone put seats in here," Will says wonderingly.

 "Perhaps is so visitors can sit comfortably while they wait for the fairies to appear," Hannibal suggests and smiles when Will nods without a hint of skepticism.

 "Yeah, let's do that too," little Will says, climbing onto a sturdy garden bench.

 Hannibal sits next to Will and puts his arm around his boy's shoulders. Little Will is vibrating with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Suddenly all the spooky stories little Mason and Matty have told him are flooding into his mind.

 "Daddyyy, "he whines but Hannibal lays a gentle finger on his lips, "Shhh, sweetness, look over there."

 Will stares where his daddy's hand is pointing but sees only tree trunks and branches and...

 "Ohhhh!" Little Will says, because for a moment he thought he saw... "Oooo," he says when a green light appears and disappears amongst the trees.

 Will stares as first one, then three, then a dozen soft green lights blink on and off amongst the trees.

 "The fairies," little Will whispers, clambering onto Hannibal's lap and wedging Mr. Bear under his daddy's arm for extra protection.

 "There they are," Hannibal says his voice soft and reverent. "They're here because they approve of us and want to say 'hello'."

 "Really?" Little Will whispers with astonishment.

 "Yes, but we must be very quiet because to their ears, human voices sound like the roars of hungry tigers," Hannibal says kissing Will's cheek.

 "Why don't you leave Mr. Bear with me and go and introduce yourself the way my _senelis_ taught me when I was just a boy," Hannibal suggests.

 "How?" Will breathes, his eyes glued to the scene before him.

"You must go to them, bow, and say, 'Thank you for having me as a guest in your beautiful wood.' Then, if they remain before you, that are their way of inviting you to their fairy dance."

 "Dance?!" Will says with boyish scorn.

 "Fairy dance," Hannibal corrects him with a gentle tug on a brown curl. "The most wonderful and magical of all dances which only a few people are ever privileged to take part in."

 "Would Christopher Robin and King Arthur dance with the fairies?" Asks Will, curious about his favorite storybook characters.

 "Without a doubt. And Merlin and Robin Hood most of all," Hannibal says smiling.

 Will considers this for a moment before saying, "Okay," and slips off his daddy's lap. He begins to slowly walk towards where the largest group of fireflies are converging, looking backwards many times for reassurance that the shadowy figure is still on the bench.

"Stay there, daddy," he stage whispers.

 "I promise," comes the reassuring reply.

 Will comes right up to where dozens of green orbs bob in mid air and gasps with delight. In the moonlight he can see that a group of saplings have grown together to form a ring and in this magical tree-room the fireflies shine thick and bright.

 " _This must be their palace_ ," little Will thinks,then remembering his daddy's instructions, he puts his hand behind his back and bows.

 "Thank you for having me as a guest in your woods," he says and straightens up, anxiously watching whether the lights will flee or remain.

 To little Will's delight, the green lights seem to grow brighter and more plentiful.

 "They say it's okay," he calls back excitedly to his daddy then clamps a hand over his mouth, and looks back into the ring of trees.

Little Will sighs with relief; the fireflies seem to have forgiven his shout, even appearing directly in front of him as though they are coming out to greet their little guest.

 "Can I come in?" He asks and in his imagination tiny bell-like voices call-out to him:

 " **Come in, come in and dance with us!** "

 That is all little Will needs to hear. He squeezes his slender body through the circle of trees and he is instantly amongst hundreds of pale, green, glowing lights.

 Will stands awestruck; more lights than he can count blink in and out in a flowing, circulating wave all around him. There are so many in this enchanted place that he can hear the beating of their soft wings and see what they look like: tiny creatures resembling moths with quivering antennae and wings which rustle as they fly. Will is not disappointed to see that they are insects and not fairies like Tinkerbell. " _They're still magical_ ," he thinks, gently raising his arms and feeling the touch of their tiny legs as they settle onto him."There you go," he says lovingly to the insects who are perching along his arms, shoulders and even atop his head. "Take a rest and then we'll dance."

 From his bench, Hannibal watches as Will bows then enters a copse of young elms which form a circle and are illuminated by pin points of green lights. He stands and walks closer, astonished at how many fireflies are enveloping his boy. Little Will's arms are upright, his fingers splayed out as he turns in a circle, dancing and laughing. To Hannibal, Will looks like a star-child, bathed in the glow of a swirling, blinking Milky Way; the sight is at once other-worldly and painfully beautiful.

 "Follow me," little Will instructs his small friends, "follow me." And he threads his way out through the trees, still surrounded by dozens of curious fireflies which fly lazily around his head and nestle onto his head and clothing.

 Little Will's fear of the dark is forgotten as he leads the fireflies on a merry chase through the wood. Hannibal follows at a distance, amazed at the transformation. Will is a rougish Puck whom Hannibal plans on capturing  in sketches and paintings for many days to come.

 Then, imperceptibly at first, the wind rises and moves through the trees. Branches come alive in a rustling, moaning chorus and Little Will finds he can no longer see in the dark as he once did. He looks around, noticing that the numbers of green orbs which blink in and out around him are few and far between.

"Daddy!" he calls, suddenly panicked to find he is deep in a dark woods with trees that are whispering their secrets far above his head.

 "I'm here darling, "Hannibal says and little Will turns and runs straight into his daddy's arms.

 "They're leaving," Will says, turning his head to watch how the green orbs are becoming fainter.

 "They are off to their fairy feast," Hannibal says, stroking his boy's head. "They must find food for themselves and their young."

 Little Will shivers, suddenly cold and Hannibal rubs his back.

 "Are you ready to go little one?" He asks.

 Will's pale face shines in the moonlight and a glittering trail of silver tears courses down it.

 "I didn't want them to go," he says and surprises Hannibal by bursting into tears.

 "Ne, ne, ne, " Hannibal says, as his little boy weeps in his arms, "Why are you crying little bear?"

 "Cuz...I...miiiiss them," Will wails and Hannibal lifts him into his strong arms and walks back to collect Mr. Bear.

 "Get Mr. Bear," he instructs and lowers Will down without releasing him from his arms.

 Will reaches down and grabs his furry friend and rubs his face into his soft fur.

 Hannibal strides through the dark woods until he reaches the lawn where he turns around to face the woods.

 "Look, little bear," he says, to Will. "look back into the woods."

 Bleary-eyed from crying, little Will slowly raises his head and looks back into the tossing trees.

 There, just at the tree line are two glowing green lights, softly bobbing in the breeze.

 "You see?" Hannibal daddy says, smiling his softest smile. "They came to say 'good-bye.' They will tell their young tonight about the boy they met who knows how to dance with the fireflies."

 Will sniffs once and mouths Mr. Bear's soft ear.

 "Good night," he whispers, than takes a deep shuddering breath which his daddy has learned signals he is calming down.

 "Now it's time for little bears to go back to their own dens," Hannibal says, as he walks back to the car with Will in his arms.

 Little Will giggles. Cradled in his daddy's strong arms he thinks about how safe and loved his daddy always makes him feel. "I love you daddy," he says.

 "I love you too, little one. Forever and ever," Hannibal smiles as he helps Will into the car.

 "Forever and ever, " little Will repeats, and falls asleep lulled by his daddy's soft music and the memories of the night he danced with the fireflies.

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> SSaldžių sapnų, mielasis- sweet dreams honey/pet/ sweetheart- Sources: wordhippo & Google translate.  
> senelis-grandfather- Google translate


End file.
